Acetylene-gas apparatus.



No. 628,64I. Patented luly Il, |899.

A. A. STRUM.

ACETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

pplicntion led Dec. 16, 1898.)

(N o M o d el.)

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No. 628,64l..

A. A. sTRuM.A

Patented July YIl, |899.

ACETYLENE GAS IAPPABATUS.

(Application filed Dec. 16, 189B.)

(No Model.)

4Sheefs-Sheet 2.

A l@ @Mj/y No. 628,64I. y Patented July Il, i399. A. A. snon.

AcETYLENE sAs APPARATUS.

('Appliclton lbd Die. 10, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(llo Model.)

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No'. 628,664. Patented my u, |899. A. STRUM.

ACETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application med nec. 1e, 189s.) (no Model.) Y 4 sheets-sheet 4.

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f UNITED STATES .PATENT OEEICE.

AXEL A. STROM, OF AUSTIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE'WALMSLEY d:

` COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACETYLENE-GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,641, dated July 11, 1899.

Application filed December 16, 1898. Serial No. 699,439. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern. 4

Be it known that I, AXEL A. STROM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin,

in the county of Cook Vand State of Illinois,l

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Acetylene-Gas Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. l

The objects of this invention are to improve acetylene-gas apparatus in matters of detail, to overcome defects, and produce anV automatic apparatus for supplying acetylene gas to the consumer which shall be thoroughly reliable and safe in operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows my improved apparatus bya view in elevation, with a part-broken away to disclose a detail. Fig. 2 is asection taken. at the line 2 on Fig. l and viewed in the di rection of the arrow; Fig. 3, a broken section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Figni, a perspective view of the cover of the carbid-holder, showing details; Fig. 5, a section taken at the line 5 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 6, a section taken at the line 6 on Fig. 2,-viewed in the direction' of the arrow and enlarged; Fig. 7, an enlarged view, in sectional elevation, of the si-` phoning water-supplymechanism to the carbid-holder from the gas-holder, the section being taken at the lin'e 7 on Fig. 8 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 8, a broken section taken at the line 8 on Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the'arrow and enlarged.

A is the outer stationary tank of a gasholder, and B is the inner inverted tank or bell, shown as having an inclined top r with the body of the bell extended above it to form an annular shield r', for a purpose hereinafter described, and as having fastened to.

it a central depending guidefpipe p2, provided at its lower end with a stop-flange q and telescoping with a standpipe p, extending vertically upward from the center of the base of the tank A, being provided at its upper end with a stop-flange q to be engaged by that on the guide-pipe p2 for limiting the extent of rise of the bell. Within the tank A at a desired distance aboveits base and confined around the pipe p is a diaphragm affording a false bottom 0 and forming between it and the bottom of the tank a space to provide a condenser C, into which, preferably near its vertical center, as shown, or at all events below the surface of the water therein, the pipe p opens, as'at o, Fig. 5. The condenser is supplied with water through an overiiowspout n, communicating with itnear its base, at one side, and reaching upward beyond the plane of the false bottom 0,\formingthe top of the condenser.

A gas-inletpipem extends upward from the false bottom 0 (through which it communicafes with the condenser) in the tank A and beyond the line (indicated at o3, Fig. 5) of the supply of sealing-water in the bell B, the water for the seal between the two members A and B being supplied at a spout n' on the tank A, as shown in Fig.,5. The outlet-pipe for gas in the bell is shown at Z, rising from the false bottom o above the water-line mand projecting at its lower end some distance into the condenser to be immersed normally in the water therein.r A branch pipe Z' leads from the pipe Zout through the wall of the tank A to conduct the gas away for use, anda branch pipe p' leads from the pipe p into the open air to afford a safety-escape, as hereinafter described,-for surplus pressure of gas beyond the predetermined pressure thereof, for holding which the apparatus is arranged.

The supply of gas as it is generated enters' the condenser C'. Vthrough a pipe 7.2, which passes into lthe tank A through its wall above the plane of the condenser, and where the pipe k opens into the condenser through its top it is surrounded byan annular collar depending from the'top into; the body of condenser-Water, below` the `level 'of which it is provided with numerous small perforations to afford a subdivider t' for the gas, all of which that is generated must pass through it before entering the pipe m from the condenser to attain the holder-space in the bell B. The

, provision of the device il by dividing the gas into iine streams as it enters the condenserwater tends to prevent pulsations thereof in the holder and consequent ilickering at the burners where the supply leads directly thereto through the pipe Z Z'.

D is the carbid-holder, comprising a recep- IOO l tacle (or pail h, supportedadjacent to the tank A, as on feet t, depending from its base. The top h of the receptacle h is rounded and of somewhat conical shape andf has its opening h2 formed on an incline, as represented, and surrounded by a collar h3, aording a seat for the cover h4, rounded transversely about its upper edge to prevent the accumulation upon it of residue from emptying the receptacle. On the top of the cover are shown hollow enlargements g2 g3, forming chambers g and g', from the latter of which depends a water-discharge nipple g4, and about the under side of the cover is shown a rubber gasket w, atwhich to bear against the collar h3. The outer end of the pipe 7s enters the coverchamber g and carries the cover in rigid inclined position corresponding with the inclination of the receptacle-opening 7b2, this pipe being reinforced by a rigid hanger-bar lo', connected vat its lower end with a collar v 702, surrounding the pipe, and fastened at its upper end to the outer side of the tank A. By this construction the .receptacle 7L is removable from its stationary cover, whereby it is uncovered and ready to be dumped on merely withdrawing it, and by shoving it back under the cover to replace it after charging withcarbid closure is effected. The closure is tightened by means of a set-screw f, working in a cross-bar f removably confined toward its ends in vertically-slotted bearings f2 f2, rising from the top h at opposite sides of the opening h3 therein, whereby the setscrew is caused to bear and be turned against the enlargement g2. The ends of the bar f are confined against the upper closed ends of the slots in the bearings f2 by the strain of the set-screw against the enlargement g2. In introducing the receptacle h intoits operative position it is guided and centered by engagement of the bearings f2 with the rounded edge of the stationary cover h4, from opposite sides of which project ears fsf3 in the path of the bearings f2 to be encountered by them against forcing it too far inward in replacing it.

The water to the holder D for producing the gas generation is supplied automatically at required intervals from the water in the gas-holder througha pipe d, leading at one end into the cover-chamber g/ and shown as containing a shut-0E cock (indicated at c?) and a trap extension d2, and this pipe is connected at its opposite end with a siphoning device E, represented to be supported on the outer s ide of the tank A near its upper end and -involving the following-described construction: On a tubular arm'u, extendingA from the side of the tank with which it communicates through an opening u', Fig. 7, near its upper end, is rigidly supported in upright position a valve device having a chamber c in a casing E', containing a seat c2 for an upwardly-closing piston-valve c', having its stem c3 passing upward through a guide 1 the perforations into the condenser C. the condenser the gas passes up through the pipe m into the bell B, which exerts the preand aord stops for the carbid-receptacle h extension c4 of the casing into alinement with the head aof an operating-rod a, carrying a weight a2 at its upper end and yieldingly supported in a vertical guide-sleeve a3 on the overhanging end of an arm a4, rigidly fastened to the top 0^ of the bell B. The valve c is normally held to its seat by the force of aspring c6, confined against it from underneath. With the casing E' thereis connected by a passage c5 from the chamber etherein above the piston a casing E2, tothe lower end of which the upper end of thepipe CZ is coupled, this casing containing between its ends below the plane of the passage c5 a diaphragm b',dividing it into chambers b2 and h3, and into an opening in which is fastened one end of a Siphon-pipe and from the chamber b2 leads a vent-pipe b4.

To startthe apparatus,the gas-holderis sup. plied with water and the condenser C is filled with Water. At this time the bell B, `bein g at its lowest position, brings the Weighted rod a to bear on the valve-stem c3 and holds the Valve open to produce a water-passage from i the tank A to the nipple at the chamber g' of the cover h4 in the carbid-holder through the pipe d and siphon device E, interposed in it.

-After the start (for which the chamber b3 should vbe preparatorily supplied with water by pouring it into the same) there willA always be a supply of Water in the Siphon-chamber b3 to automatioallyproduce the siphoning action whenever the valve c is opened bythe fall of the bell B to the required extent; but

' the Siphon action will not, of course, start the iow until the chamber b3 ills to the height of y the pipe l) therein.Y

The gas that is evolved from the calcium carbid in the holder D by the fall of Water upon it from the nipple g4 passes out through a the pipe 7e into the perforated collar i, whence A it escapes in finely-divided streams through From determined pressure at which the gas is to be delivered through the pipes Z Z. As the gasholder fills the gas accumulation in the bell raises it, and when the accumulation of gas is suci ent to raise it to its limit, so that further `accumulation increases the predetermined pressure, the surplus pressure on the surface a of the water in the condenser O will depress that water, causing it to rise in, and'maybe overflow at, the spout fn, thereby lowering the condenser-water surface below the entrance to the escape-pipe openings t to permit the surplus pressure to discharge into the pipe p and thence into the open air through the branch p. Thus, as will be seen, a lsafety pressure-escape is afforded.

In the'rise of the bell the rod a is eventually lifted from the valve-stem c3, though not necessarily immediately, as the engagement will continue until the collar a3 abuts against .the weight a2 tocarry the rod. With the freeing of the valve-stem the spring c6 closes the IOO IIO

valve, thereby shutting oft the supply of water of water from the gas-holder to-the carbid-` holder is not measured, nor predetermined,

nor uniform, since it will alwaysbe in accordl ance with the length of time the valve cremains open. i

The predetermed pressurein the gas-holder, which the weight ot' the bell B maintains, is

`prevented from being exceeded by possible immersion of the top r below the water-line in the Vtank and consequent additional weight on the bell of the water over it by the provision of the shield r around the bell-top, which extends abovethe lowest plane to which the bell may drop in the tank.

By the foregoing construction the following more important advantages, in addition to those mentioned, are attained: The supply-` pipe c of gas from the carbid-holder to the gas-holder is always water-sealed, thereby preventing the escape of gas when the receptacle h is'removed, and the connecting-pipe d.

between the holder D and water-supply from the tank A is likewise always sealed', thereby preventing the escape of gas from the carbidholder. The overiiow on the condenser, extending above the highest possible water-level therein, regulates the water-level whether the water in the condenser be added to from condensation in the pipes communicating with it or the level be varied by excess of gaspressure in the holder. The supply of water for the carbid in its holder D is always taken from a fixed point in the gas-holder, thereby preventing the water seal from being broken between the tank A and bell B when the bell is up high. The inclined fixed cover coperating with the correspondingly-inclined seat n about the opening in the carbid-receptacle obviates any joints for swinging the cover to permit removal of the receptacle, and the rounded outer edge of the collarjhg prevents accumulation of residue at the junction of the cover with its seat and consequentimpairment of the gasket and leakage. y

The construction shown and described of the various parts and the particular manner of their combination may, without departure from my invention, be modied and changed in different ways by those skilled in the art.

the normal water-line therein and provided with an outlet branch, substantially as described.

2. Inan acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the gas-holder of a condenser in the bottom of the stationarytank communieating with the gas-supply and provided with an overflow, a pipe leading from the condenser Y above the water-line in said holder, a standpipe risingthrough thecondenser in the gasholder and open to the condenser below the normal water-line therein, an outlet branch .leading from said stand-pi pe to the outer air,

and a pipe depending from the bell-aud telescoping said' stand-pipe, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the gas-holder of a false bottom in the base portion of the tank forming a condenser therein, communicating with the gassupply, an overflow-spout on the condenser extending above the plane of its top, a gasinlet pipe extending from the condenser beyond the water-line in said holder, a gas-outlet pipe extending from beyond said waterline through the condenser below its top and leading out of the holder, a stand-pipe rising through the condenser in the gas-holder and open to the condenser below the normal water-line therein, an outlet branch leading from said stand-pipe to the outer air, and a pipe depending from the bell and telescoping said stand-pipe, substantially as described.

4. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the carbid-holder, of a watersupply communicating with said holder, a valve-controlled siphon device interposed in the communication and having a Siphon-pipe adapted to be immersed to the highest point of its bore in the water to be siphoned, and means operated by the movement of the gasholder bell to open the valve of said siphon device, substantially as described.

5. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the carbid-holder, of a watersupply having a trapped pipe communication with said holder, a vent-equipped siphon device interposed in said pipe and having a Siphon-pipe adapted to be immersed to the highest point of its bore in the water to be siphoned, and means operated by the pressure of gas in the gas-holder to regulate the water-supply through said Siphon device, substantially as described. v

6. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the stationary tank of the gasholder and a carbid-holder having water-pipe communication with said tank at a xed point below the normal water-line therein, of a valve-controlled siphon device interposed in said communication and havinga Siphon-pipe adapted to be immersed to the highest point of ,its bore in the water to be siphoned, and means operated by the movement of the bell to open the valve of said Siphon device, substantially as described.

7. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the com-` bination with the stationary tank of the gas- IDO IIO

- holder and a carbid-holder having water-pipe to open said valve, substantially as described.

the Siphon-pipe, a trapped Water-pipe leading S. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the stationary tank of the gasholder and a carbid-holder, of a Siphon device comprising a casing having a tubular communication with said tank at a point below its normal water-line and containing a chamber provided with a spring-controlled valve provided with a stem projecting beyond said casing, a casing divided into an upper chamber, communicating with said valve-casing and containing a Siphon-pipe, and a lower chamber provided with a vent-pipe and communicatin g With said upper chamber through from said lower chamber to the carbid-holder,

' and a Weighted rod yieldingly supported on the gas-holder bell to engage said valve-stem, substantially as described.

9. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a carbidholder comprising a stationary cover having a stop projecting laterally from its edge, and a carbid-receptacle having a stop to engage the coverstop,said cover presenting a guide to the stop on the receptacle in sliding the latter into place underneath the cover, substantially as described.

'10. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the gas-holder, of a carbidholder for supplying gas to the gas-holder, having a receptacle provided with a base on which it is removably supported adjacent to the stationary tank of said gas-holder and having an inclined opening, and a cover secured in inclined position to iitand bewedged against said opening by sliding the receptacle on its base beneath said cover, substantially as described.

ll. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the gas-holder, of a carbidholder for supplying gas to-the gas-holder,

comprising a receptacle provided with a base on which it is removably supported adjacent to the stationary tank of said gas-holder and having *an inclined opening v in its top surroundedA by a collar formi-ng a cover-seat, bearings rising from said'top at opposite sides of the opening, cover-fastening means connected with said bearings, a cover rigidly secured in inclined positionvto fit and be wedged against said collar by sliding the receptacle on its'base underneath the cover, and stops on the cover for engagement with said bearings, substantially as described.

12. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with the gas-holder, of a carbidholder comprising a receptacle removably supported adjacent to the stationary tank of said gas-holder, and having an inclined open- Ving in its top surrounded by a collar forming a cover-seat, a cover rigidly connected with said tank'in inclined position to tit upon said collar and provided on its under side with a seating-gasket, a chamber on said cover opening to said receptacle and having a gas-supply-pipe connection with the gas-holder, a chamber on said cover having a depending water-discharge nipple leading to said receptacle and a water-pipe connection with the gas-holder, and means for fastening the cover against its seat, substantially as described.

AXEL A. STROM. In presence of- M. J. FROST, R. T. SPENCER. 

